GEORGE TOWN, July 6 – Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang Sdn Bhd (PBAPP) had to carry out emergency response engineering works related to water production at the Sungai Dua Water Treatment Plant (WTP), Penang’s largest and most important treatment plant, this morning. At 6.00am today, the turbidity of raw water being pumped from Sungai Muda (via the Sungai Dua Canal) to the plant was recorded as 3,000 NTU.
This is an abnormally high turbidity rating. The “normal turbidity” of raw water from Sungai Muda is below 1,000 NTU. (NTU refers to “Nephelometric Turbidity Unit”, the unit used to measure the presence of suspended particles or matter in water.) At 8.00am today, all water production operations at the Sungai Dua WTP were temporarily shut down. This emergency measure was necessary to prevent the production of unsafe treated water that is not compliant to the Drinking Water Quality Control parameters set by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia.
As a remedial measure, PBAPP immediately reduced abstraction of raw water from Sungai Muda and released raw water stored in the Mengkuang Dam to reduce the turbidity of the raw water in the Sungai Dua Canal. At 12.00 noon, when the turbidity level of the raw water entering the plant was at an acceptable level, PBAPP restarted water production operations at the Sungai Dua WTP in stages.
The temporary shutdown of the Sungai Dua WTP caused water pressures in all major pipelines in Seberang Perai and Penang Island to drop. This is because the Sungai Dua WTP produces more than 80% of the treated water that is supplied throughout the State of Penang daily. PBAPP received enquiries and complaints from water consumers relating to low water pressure throughout Penang, including industrial consumers.
PBAPP apologises for all the temporary inconveniences caused. However, all affected consumers should kindly note that the sudden spike in the turbidity of raw water from Sungai Muda is a factor which is beyond PBAPP’s control. Nevertheless, PBAPP has reacted and responded to this crisis situation in a timely and appropriate manner. PBAPP has projected that water supply pressures in all pipelines throughout the State of Penang would be normalised by 12.00pm Thursday, (7.7.2022).
Meanwhile, PBAPP will continue to monitor the turbidity of water abstracted from Sungai Muda on a 24/7 basis. We will continue to draw down water from the Mengkuang Dam to ensure safe raw water turbidity levels for the Sungai Dua WTP. Our priority is to ensure safe and sustainable treated water production in Penang.
